"The East End can no longer serve as a cash cow to fund a system that mainly benefits New York City. If the MTA refuses to provide service, the Peconic region should immediately secede from the MTA and establish its own transportation authority."
- Suffolk Legislator Ed Romaine

"I promise to bring more scrutiny to the way the MTA operates by shining a light on inflated salaries and other abuses. They need to tighten up spending before cutting essential services."
- NYS Assemblyman Marc Alessi

National Grid

National Grid, a distributor of electricity and natural gas company, is committed to serving customers well, delivering energy safely and reliably and keeping costs low. Their values include making safety paramount, continuously improving service quality and value, ahering to the highest ethical standards, fostering respect and teamwork, acting in accordance with corportate, community and social responsibilities, being a superior investment of stakeholders and respecting and celebrating the unique differences in employees, stakeholders and customers.

For more information, visit their website.

Become a supporter of Smart Growth

Vision Long Island prides itself on having a broad range of supporters.  Become one today. A donation as small as $50 buys outreach materials to help a community build support for their vision. $500 sponsors an entire newsletter.  $5,000 makes you a lead sponsor of our Smart Growth Summit, buying 10 tickets and a key branding opportunity for your organization.
 
Your tax-deductible donation goes directly to Vision and lets you help strengthen efforts to put Smart Growth principles into action.

Deadline approaching for Smart Growth Awards - submit nominees by February 28th!

The deadline for nominations for the 2010 Smart Growth Awards is now less than a month away. The eight annual event will honor individuals and organizations taking leadership in advancing Smart Growth projects, policies, regulations and initiatives. Specific focus areas include mixed-use development, affordable housing, environmental health and safety, open space and historic preservation, traffic calming and pedestrian safety, transportation enhancements, clean energy, downtown revitalization and/or community based planning. The deadline for submissions is February 28th.

Award recipients will stand out from other entries in their ability to demonstrate one or more of these basic principles:

1. Mix Land Uses
2. Take advantage of compact building design
3. Create housing choices for a range of household types, family sizes and incomes
4. Create walkable neighborhoods
5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place.
6. Preserve open space, farmland, historic buildings and critical environmental areas
7. Strengthen existing communities and achieve more balanced regional development
8. Provide a variety of transportation choices
9. Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective.
10. Encourage citizen and stakeholder participation in development decisions
11. Utilize clean energy and green building development

Submit this form and relevant materials to Vision Long Island, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. Please include relevant reports, images, plans, renderings, news articles and other supportive materials. Do not send originals materials as we cannot guarantee their safe return.

The Awards will be handed out on Friday, June 18th from 11:30am-2pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club. Registration information is available here.

What we learned from the Stimulus: transit creates twice as many jobs as highway construction

A report released this month called "What We Learned From The Stimulus" shows that in the first ten months of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), investments in public transportation have created twice as many jobs per dollar as investments in highways. The study found that every billion dollars spent on public transportation produced 16,419 job-months, while every billion dollars spent on projects funded under highway infrastructure programs produced 8,781 job-months.

The report, conducted by Smart Growth America, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and U.S. PIRG, has implications for the several upcoming federal bills including a jobs bill. The Jobs for Main Street Act, which passed the House of Representatives in December, provides $27.1 billion for the Surface Transportation Program (STP) versus $8.4 billion for public transportation. If the Senate version of this bill evens out the funding, the same overall investment would produce an additional 71,415 job-months, or year-round employment for 5,951 more workers. “This is a no-brainer. The Senate can ensure that more jobs are created across the country building the transportation system we need for the 21st century,” said Geoff Anderson, President of Smart Growth America.

According to Smart Growth America, "Public transportation projects create more jobs than road projects because they spend less money on land and more on labor, and because projects are often more complex, whether laying track or manufacturing vehicles." In addition, the report refutes the idea that transit projects are not as "shovel-ready" as highway projects: "Nationally, public transportation and highway infrastructure projects are spending money at about the same rate. But because public transportation projects spend more of those dollars on more labor, equivalent spend rates produce more and faster jobs from public transportation."

“Public transportation is a lifeline for communities big and small across the country” said Scott Bernstein of the Center for Neighborhood Technology. “Too many people could not get to their jobs without public transit. But even as demand for service is up, systems everywhere face budget shortfalls forcing layoffs, reduced service and fare hikes. Increased local reinvestment is essential to preventing these cuts that will cripple our workforce and increase expenses for working Americans. In passing the Jobs for Main Street bill to tackle the continuing crisis, Congress can learn from the ARRA experience, putting the money where it will do the most good, and leaving no job, no family and no community-in-need behind.”

Obama announces high-speed rail

On the tail of a two-sentence shout out to infrastructure and high speed rail in President Obama's State of the Union Address on Wednesday night, the President traveled to Tampa, Florida on Thursday to announce the authorization of $8 billion in economic recovery funds to begin building a high speed rail network across the country. The funds were anticipated, but the specific projects were only announced this week. The funds, which will come in the form of state grants, will span 31 states and 13 new rail systems. There will also be some grants for existing rail system improvements and planning for future lines. Each new line will span between 100 and 600 miles, with anticipated speeds ranging from 168-220 miles per hour. 

California and Florida were the biggest winners, with $2.25 billion for Los Angeles-San Francisco and $1.25 billion for Tampa-Orlando. The Northeast region will get about $1.2 billion for its various rail networks, including $706 million from a separate fund called "ARRA Amtrak Grants." Only about $112 million is expected to go to the Northeast Corridor (Boston-NYC-DC), which is the country's busiest (and fastest) rail system. Many projects that applied were denied funding and, in fact, the $8 billion may cover only 5% of what some experts say it will take to build a national high speed rail system. Of course, the Interstate Highway System wasn't built in a year, and following suit the President has pledged $1 billion a year for the next five years in the federal budget "as a down payment to jump-start the program."

According to US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's blog, "I've said it before, and I believe it even more today: this is an absolute game-changer for American transportation...The particular investments we're making today--they make sense. We're connecting cities that are too close for efficient air travel but--with the highways connecting these cities nearly choked beyond capacity--too far for productive road travel. Cities like St. Louis and Chicago."

President Obama told his Tampa audience, "I'm excited. I'm going to come back here and ride it. You all have a date." 

Read more at CNN  and the White House press release.

MTA proposes eliminating LIRR service to East End

Lately, it seems like we're seeing failure after failure from the MTA. This time, our regional transit agency is targeting the East End of Long Island. The MTA has proposed to close its budget gap by cutting all train service between Ronkonkoma and Greenport, except on summer weekends. Stations affected include Ronkonkoma, Medford, Yaphank, Riverhead, Mattituck, Southold and Greenport.

Over 50 East End elected officials, business leaders, unions, civics, and transit riders attended a press conference on Monday, January 25th to protest these outrageous cuts. Speakers included NYS Assemblyman Marc Alessi, Suffolk County Legislator Ed Romaine, Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter and Council Members Jodi Giglio and Jim Wooten, Southold Supervisor Scott Russell, Brookhaven Councilwoman Kathy Walsh, and Vision's Eric Alexander. Alexander said, "I have seen homes, streets, neighborhoods and even entire communities be ignored by government-never an entire region!"

There are several strong and targeted arguments against the cuts:

First, it is important understand that there is a catch-22 in transit planning. From the perspective of a growing downtown, transit (and therefore the downtown) will not be utilized to its fullest potential without an increase in service. In other words, more people are more likely to ride the train if there is half-hourly service rather than 6-hourly service. The transit agency, however, will not increase train service without seeing an increase in ridership demand first. The MTA has broken the cycle, for sure, but they did so by acting in a completely reactionary way that will hinder Smart Growth development in the East End's downtowns. Downtown Riverhead in particular is in the midst of revitalizing its downtown and a key component is using the community's existing infrastructure to create and enhance a transit-oriented development. Cutting service would be an affront to these efforts.

The East End has consistently lobbied for more train service. The MTA's proposal may be the last straw, as East End elected officials are now seriously considering seceding from the MTA and forming its own East End transit agency. A few years ago an East End Shuttle was proposed to utilize existing tracks and other transit connections to provide frequent, inexpensive service to East Enders. Such a system may prove more cost-effective for the East End, while also providing better service. 

Taxes are another key component of these cuts. East End taxes already subsidize transit in New York City in disproportionate numbers. According to Legislator Ed Romaine's press release, "Suffolk County residents provide over $520 million, or $347 per person, to the MTA; $28 million is directly paid from the county budget for station maintenance, local operating assistance, and the newly imposed payroll tax. $28 million accounts for more than half the county’s general fund property tax levy." Over 310,000 residents would lose direct access to MTA service under this plan. However, the MTA would still collect $107 million from the same County residents. Legislator Romaine said, “You’ve heard of taxation without representation? This is ‘taxation without anything,’ or, as [Southold] Supervisor Scott Russell called it, ‘taxation without transportation.’...How can the MTA justify taxing residents of the East End, but not provide a single service? It’s outrageous.”

Rather than add even more devastating transit cuts to its long list of failed financial strategies, the MTA should take a look at its high administrative costs first. While holding up a 42-page packet containing the MTA's 2008 salary schedules, Assemblyman Marc Alessi said, "I'm asking the MTA to look inside themselves and chop from the top." Of almost 5,000 employees listed, 611 had salaries of above $100,000. In 2009, payroll, overtime, health benefits, and pension funds accounted for 59.5 percent of the MTA's operating budget. "It's absolutely wrong," said Alessi.

John Burke of The Vintage Group, which is building Vintage Square in downtown Riverhead, wrote a strongly worded letter to Congressman Tim Bishop on the matter: "All of LI is trying to build “walkable communities” and create foot traffic in the East End and here you have an outright blatant attempt by the MTA to usurp that effort. What about the all effort for “Smart Growth” here on the Island? Here we all are working to create jobs on the East End, build the aforementioned walkable communities, create a “greener” quality of life for our citizens and more importantly for our next generation. And yet the hubris behavior of [the LIRR] is allowed to continue."

The MTA plans to host a public meeting on the cuts in Carle Place in March. East Enders are trying to get another meeting held in Riverhead. Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer William J. Lindsay said in a press release Tuesday, “Telling these riders that they have to travel 76 miles each way to speak at a public hearing in Carle Place is the latest slap in a long list of slaps in the face that this agency has perpetrated against Suffolk County residents.” 

Responding to the call, the MTA announced a hearing at the Riverhead Legislative Auditorium scheduled for Monday, March 8, at 6pm.

Stay tuned for more details and action alerts about the cuts, which could go into effect by September. We cannot afford to let the MTA take its financial mismanagement out on the East End.

Read Legislator Ed Romaine's press release here, and read an article from NorthForkVue.com here.

New details released on MTA cuts

It's a bad week for MTA riders. New details have been released on the MTA's proposed service cuts to the LIRR, LI Bus, NYC Transit, Metro North, Access-a-Ride, and Able-Ride, which come about as a result of a $400 million MTA budget shortfall. The original cuts, adopted as part of the 2010 budget in December 2009, have been modified as a result of updated ridership information and other new details. There's a grim outlook for Long Island: 

LI Bus lines to be discontinued will include: N3, N17, N26, N28, N53, N65, N66, N67, N87, N88, N93, N94, N95; N2 Jamaica Extension, N14 Midday Service, N62 Midday Service.

LIRR branches to be affected include: Babylon, Ronkonkoma, Port Washington, Belmont, Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Greenport (all Ronkonkoma-Greenport service eliminated except on summer weekends), Long Beach, West Hempstead, Atlantic Branch, and Montauk.  

And a tidbit from the city: "NYCT is proposing to revise its off-peak service guidelines to increase the total number of allowable standees from zero to 10-18 standees per car (from 100% of a seated load to 125% of a seated load)." "Standees" are also expected on many off-peak LIRR trains.

LI Bus justified its actions: "By law, the MTA is required to adopt a balanced budget. While LI Bus is committed to identifying and pursuing all opportunities for budget savings through administrative reductions and efficiencies, the gap between revenue and expenses is too great to be addressed solely by administrative restructuring. Administrative staff (employees not responsible for the operation of buses or maintenance of existing infrastructure) only account for 8 percent of the total LI Bus labor force. As such, it is impossible to balance a deficit of this magnitude without proposing reductions to bus service in addition to administrative reductions."

There is, of course, still an opportunity for new Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano to reverse the $1.4 million cut in the County's subsidy to LI Bus that was approved last year. New York State, also in financial crisis, was not able to fund the MTA well enough to end these cuts. 

It is as important as ever to keep the pressure up on elected officials to not allow these service cuts to take place. Call or write to your Town, County, and State officials to demand more funding to stop these cuts. In addition, the MTA will host public hearings in March on the cuts. One will take place at Chateau Briand in Carle Place on March 1st at 6pm. Legislators are also asking for another hearing in Riverhead to address the East End population. 

A declining transit system is essentially the opposite of Smart Growth, or really any growth. So get outraged, Long Island, and keep the pressure up!

For links to all the details on the cuts, plus information on the upcoming public hearings, see the MTA's website.

Paterson outlines ambitious climate action plan

Last week, NYS Governor David A. Paterson outlined an extensive plan to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas pollution while also building New York's clean energy economy. The multi-faceted effort is driven by Executive Order No. 24, which the Governor issued last August and sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in New York State by 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. 

"As the world's 15th largest economy, our State has the responsibility to take a leadership role in reducing carbon pollution," Governor Paterson said. "We have answered that challenge by setting some of the most ambitious clean energy and environmental goals in the United States, and will be working with all stakeholders over the next 12 months to develop a roadmap for achieving those goals. Attaining dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas pollution will require action on the part of every New Yorker. But these changes are essential for providing future generations with a strong, healthy, and prosperous New York." 

Over the course of this year, the Governor's Climate Action Council will meet with expert advisory panels and focus on the full spectrum of energy use and economic activity including:power supply and delivery; residential, commercial and industrial; agriculture, forestry and waste; transportation and land use; and adaptation, such as responses to potential climate-related threats to various sectors. In addition, there will be significant opportunities for public input to the Climate Action Plan.

The first public outreach meeting was held this past Monday in Albany. There will be a second public outreach meeting on June 30.

Learn more here.

Clean Energy Leadership Task Force meets and releases Green Paper on LI energy codes

On Friday, January 29th, the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force met at the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College.

As a part of the meeting, the Sustainability Institute officially released its Green Paper, "Long Island Towns Successfully Strengthen Residential Energy Codes." The report looked at the results of a campaign to have local town codes adopt Energy Star Homes standards for all new home construction. Since 2007, the campaign has been successful in ten out of thirteen Long Island towns, with the exception of East Hampton, Southold, and Shelter Island. The Sustainability Institute calls the implementation "a mostly cooperative effort between the building industry, municipal officials and environmental activists." The report states that there have been no reports of significant difficulties with the new requirements, and that LIPA and the LI Builders Institute have trained a new "green collar" industry of home energy raters. Overall, the program has been a success.

The report continues, "This program has demonstrated that establishing higher efficiency standards can result in significant reductions in CO2 emissions, with little or no taxpayer expense, while creating long-term savings for consumers, and fostering new green jobs. This provides a model for implementing similar standards for residential construction statewide or nationwide." The policy recommendations of the report include the need to adopt these standards statewide, implement them in the remaining LI municipalities, and include building permit renewals in these requirements. There is also an argument to enhance efficiency standards for commercial and multi-family construction, and for renovations and retrofits.

For more information on the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force or the Sustainability Institute Green Paper, please contact 631-963-5454 or visit their website.

Smithtown secures safety improvements in cooperation with NYS DOT

The stretch of road in Smithtown that has proved a dangerous accident zone received a commitment from the State DOT to undergo safety improvements on Tuesday. Last week, the State met with Smithtown officials to discuss ways to make Main Street safer. The Town brought in several suggestions that were derived from residents, while the DOT brought in some of their own ideas. Fortunately, there was a lot of common ground on the two lists.

Agreed upon improvements include barriers along Main Street's south curb, better signage, wider sidewalks, and upgrading buttons on crosswalks to allow more time for pedestrians to cross. "I'm pleased that they at least took our suggestions and are using them," said Smithtown Supervisor Pat Vecchio. "I certainly think that the barriers will be an additional help in preventing jaywalking." State Senator John Flanagan said, "A lot of these things can be done relatively quickly and ... because you're not talking about major cost, that makes it easier to get some of this stuff done."

Read more in Newsday.

Brookhaven gets $28 Million from Stimulus

The Town of Brookhaven received $27.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to finance various private projects. The funds come as Recovery Zone Facility Bonds and must be allocated to approved plans by the end of the year. Projects that receive the bonds will also receive Town Industrial Development Agency tax breaks. The bonds can be used for almost any commercial or business use, excluding certain service businesses and those that sell alcohol.

To determine what the bonds will fund, the Town has created a special projects division of its Planning Department to fast-track any developments that want to take advantage of the bonds. Supervisor Mark Lesko said, “It’s all about jobs, jobs, jobs. We will focus on helping finance good projects that will create high-skilled, high-paying jobs, and make sense for the economy."

Read more at Long Island Business News.

VHB to Develop Master Plan for LI Motor Parkway Trailway

The Long Island Motor Parkway will once again become a recreational amenity — now for all to enjoy. The Nassau County Department of Public Works has selected VHB to develop a master plan for the reuse of the Long Island Motor Parkway Trailway. Once completed, the LIMP Trailway will become a trail for hikers and bicyclists to enjoy, while maintaining its historical significances. It will also provide an important transportation connection between communities, open space resources, and employment centers for those wishing to walk or bike through Nassau County. 

Well before the everyday traffic congestion on the Long Island Expressway or Northern State Parkway, William K. Vanderbilt’s Long Island Motor Parkway provided a leisurely and picturesque drive from Queens to Ronkonkoma after the turn of the last century. The nation’s first concrete high speed road was ideal for the rich and famous of the day to drive and race their cars. 

VHB will inventory existing conditions of the trail and its right-of-ways and transversals through private properties and analyze route options and design accessible, easily maintained trails for public use. Identifying where the parkway was originally located will require the use of historical records and old maps as well as conversations with groups and individuals familiar with the parkway and its history. 

A key aspect of the project will be community participation, including outreach to the public and trail advocates to take part in meetings. VHB will work with county personnel to advertise public meetings and target local officials, civic and business organizations, parks and open space proponents and other stakeholder groups to attend. 

Once completed, the comprehensive master plan for the Long Island Motor Parkway Trailway will include details on existing conditions, structures, road crossings and profile the trail for proposed grading, drainage, trail alignment, plantings and other treatments such as trail markers and signs. Completion of the plan is expected to take six to nine months. Other deliverables to the county will consist of construction cost estimates and identifying any permits or approvals necessary and to develop a timeline for the project. VHB has already conducted several meetings with the LI Old Motor Parkway Committee, a volunteer group dedicated to the historic preservation and revitalization of the trail.

Haitian earthquake victims need help

On January 12th, a devastating 7.0 earthquake rocked Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. There are many ways to help assist victims of this horrific tragedy from home.

In addition to donating money through organizations such as the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, or any of the text message donation links and dozens of other charities that have been floating around cyberspace, Nassau County and Suffolk County are both mobilizing relief efforts.  Details are attached below to figure out how you can assist with both emergency items and financial assistance. 

In a difficult time like this, it is a reminder of how blessed we are and how it is incumbent for us all to assist our neighbors.

Please see our special e-blast for details, by county, of how you can help.

NYS DEC calls for public comment

On December 16th, the New York State Department of Environmental Concern (NYS DEC), pursuant to Executive Order No. 25, invited comment from regulated entities and interested parties to identify existing regulations that impose unnecessary, burdensome or excessive costs, paperwork, reporting or other requirements.  The regulations are contained in Title 6 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, available here, as well as on the DEC’s regulations webpage, accessible here.

Comments are sought that describe and quantify the burden and suggest appropriate remedies that the agency may undertake to eliminate or amend regulations that are unnecessary, unbalanced, unwise, duplicative or unduly burdensome.
 
Any comments must be received on or before February 15, 2010, and may be submitted either in writing to Timothy E. Eidle, Esq., NYS DEC, Office of General Counsel, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, or electronically by visiting the DEC webpage for Executive Order No. 25, located here.

Rockin' to Raise Funds for the Homeless January 30th

The second annual Rockin' for the Homeless benefit concert, sponsored by Maureen's Haven, will take place on Saturday, January 30th at 7pm at Riverhead's Polish Hall, 218 Marcy Avenue in Riverhead. The event features three spectacular classic rock bands from Long Island: Who Are Those Guys, Misspent Youth, and The Mulligans. Ticket price includes food from a limited menu, (choice of hot dogs, hamburgers or Polish Hall's famous grilled kielbasa) door prizes and a dance floor. There is a cash bar. Concertgoers can also try their luck at the Chinese Auction or the 50/50 raffle. 

Event chairman Tom Gahan said, "Last year's Rockin' for the Homeless benefit was inspiring. We hit the right formula, three excellent classic rock bands, a lot of fun and a reasonable ticket price led to a sell out crowd. I wouldn't be surprised if this year's show sells out early. The economy and a couple of rough winters have driven up the demands on homeless services. Every dime we raise goes to the needs of the homeless." 

It is estimated that there are approximately 500 homeless people every night on the East End of Long Island. Maureen's Haven provides safe, warm, temporary shelter for Eastern Suffolk's homeless during the cold winter months. The program operates from November 1 through April 1 and includes transportation to and from houses of worship that provide meals and shelter, plus multi-service referrals to community agencies to empower the homeless population.

Advance tickets are only a $25 donation if purchased before January 28. At the door, tickets are $35. To purchase advance tickets, donation checks should be made payable to MPC / Maureen's Haven. Name, address, daytime phone, and e-mail address need to be included and sent before January 28 to: Rockin' for the Homeless, 46 Riverside Drive, Riverhead, NY 11901.

Kids vs. global warming founder to speak on January 31st

Alec Loorz was 12 when he saw "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's documentary movie on global warming. "That's what sparked my awareness of this issue and caused me to do something about it," he said.

At 13, Loorz founded the nonprofit Kids vs. Global Warming, which urges young people to become activists on the subject. Now 15, Loorz has given over 100 lectures to more than 20,000 people around the country. He has spoken at the United Nations, been to the White House, presented a "Declaration of Independence from Fossil Fuels" to a US Senate subcommittee, traveled to Copenhagen for the Climate Summit, received awards from ABC-TV and the Weather Channel and been a member of panels at several climate and energy conferences.

He will speak on Sunday Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock at 48 Shelter Rock Rd. in Manhasset on "What Kids Can Do About Global Warming." The event is sponsored by the Shelter Rock Forum. "I realized that we as youth are going to be affected by this crisis," Loorz said. "That caused me to stand up and raise my voice to make a difference. I stress three things: conservation--doing everything we can to use less fossil fuels; innovation--coming up with alternative energy solutions; and sequestration--taking carbon out of the air, such as by planting trees.

Loorz said he was disappointed in the results of the Climate Summit. "Some people feel we need to stop at 350 [the safe limit of carbon in the atmosphere] to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis," he said, "but the final agreement said 450. And we're already at 387...But I do feel hopeful because 100,000 people came to this event to demand climate justice, and more than 160 nations were represented. It was historic to see all these nations taking climate change seriously."

Loorz said those such as himself, who feel global warming is a crisis, have to work harder in 2010. "The main reason we're in this recession is because of our addiction to fossil fuel. If we could transition to solar power, wind power...that is American made, we wouldn't have to go overseas to get oil. These are oil wars we're waging [in Iraq and Afghanistan] because we're running out of it...We have less than 10 years to solve this crisis. We can't wait. We as kids need to do something now."

Kids 18 and under will be admitted free and there is $5 suggested donation for adults.

Intergenerational Solutions for Challenging Times on February 2nd

Dowling College Center for Intergenerational Policy and Practice presents Intergenerational Solutions for Challenging Times. On Tuesday, February 2nd from 8am-2:30pm at the Fortunoff Hall Ballroom at Dowling's Rudolph Campus in Oakdale, this special event will include speakers, workshops, and more. The keynote speaker is Kevin Brabazon, President of NYS Intergenerational Network.

Workshop topics include Between the Generations: A User's Guide to Establishing and Organizing an Intergenerational Program between Local Schools and Seniors, How Long Term Care Finances Affect More than One Generation: Making Yourself Financially Secure, We Will All Be Old Someday: Training the Trainer in Experiential Role-Playing, Intergenerational Relationships between Sighted Youth & Blind Seniors, Spirituality and Your Health, Bridging the Gap: A Model Intergenerational Program between Wyandanch High School and Broadlawn Manor, Making a Mosaic: Using Oral History to Teach Tolerance and Appreciation of Immigrant Struggles, Improvisational Presentation to Address Issues in an Intergenerational Family, Alternative Models to Age-Segregated Housing, Opportunity to Network and Learn, and Grant Writing.

All are welcome to attend, especially case workers, clergy, community activists, long-term care administrators, recreation therapists, school personnel, social workers, youth workers, and anyone interested in creating more livable communities and improving relationships between seniors and youth.

The mission of the Center for Intergenerational Policy & Practice at Dowling College is to raise public awareness of the inter-relatedness of the needs of all generational groups through education, advocacy, and practice.

Registration is $35 and includes lunch. 55 CEU credits are available. To learn more and register, visit the website or email Susanne.Bleiberg-Seperson@dowling.edu.

Intro to Building Green for Commercial Contractors Workshop on February 3rd

On Wednesday, February 3rd, the U.S. Green Building Council's Long Island Chapter presents the Intro to Building Green for Commercial Contractors Workshop. The workshop is designed to define the roles and responsibilities of contractors on sustainable building projects. It will provide attendees with a sound understanding of sustainable building principles and how they relate to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, LEED certification.

The workshop was developed and will be taught by members of the New York Upstate Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, including Jodi Smits Anderson, NYS Director of Environmental Programs for the Dormitory Authority, and Oliver Holmes, Professor in the School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic. At the end of the workshop participants will be able to explain how building green is good for New York and contractors in New York, name the five basic principles of sustainable construction and how they relate to the LEED Green Building Rating System, define the integrated approach to methods and systems necessary to achieve LEED Certification, identify contractor roles and responsibilities in implementing a project intended for LEED Certification, and describe how to generate a LEED documentation booklet for a project.

The program runs from 4-8pm at Carlyle on the Green in Farmingdale. $125 includes dinner, workshop, study guides, and manuals. 4.0 credits are available in AIA/CES HSW/SD LU. The course also serves as a prerequisite for the LEED Green Associate exam. Visit their site to learn more and register.

Long Island Young Nonprofit Professionals on February 3rd

The Long Island Young Nonprofit Professionals is a new group that caters to the unique needs of a small demographic. If you consider yourself a young nonprofit professional on Long Island, come to the next meeting on Wednesday, February 3rd from 1-2pm. You don't have to be employed in a not-for-profit setting to join the group, but the emphasis is on the common challenges of young people who work in social justice.

"Young" is subjective (no one will be checking IDs), but most members are in their 20s and 30s. In addition to group discussions, this meeting will help shape the future of the group by forming a mission statement and planning future events.

The meeting will take place at the Long Island Jobs with Justice office at 390 Rabro Drive in Hauppauge. For more information, contact Jessie by email.

Long Island GreenFest on Feb. 6th and 7th

The Long Island GreenFest will be held at Farmingdale University's Roosevelt Hall on Saturday and Sunday, February 6th and 7th. The two-day festival will be a celebration of all things Green on Long Island. GreenFest will showcase renewable energy exhibits, healthy and organic foods, green living ideas, green building and some natural and hand-crafted products will be for sale. The festivities include live music, dancers, and a contortionist! 

The GreenFest is brought to SUNY by the award-winning producers of the East End GreenFest. A long list of exhibitors will be attending the event from many different green walks of life including: Renewable Energy, Green Kids, Organic and Natural Products, Natural Health and Beauty, Green Building, Green Living Healthy Foods and Beverages, Green Transportation, Earth Friendly Fashion, Waste Reduction, Health and Beauty, Local Businesses, and Non-Profit Organizations.

The show runs from 11-6 on Saturday and 11-5 on Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and free to students with ID and all kids. For more information, visit their site.

SPLIA Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Workshops: Feb 9th and 10th

Rehabilitation tax credits provide real financial incentives for the reuse of historic buildings. Underutilized on Long Island, these credits are not limited to distressed census tracts, have great potential in downtown revitalization, and can apply to both commercial and residential properties. To learn more about the full scope of the federal and state programs, please join industry experts and the New York State Historic Preservation Office at one of two Long Island locations for a workshop discussion on program eligibility, application procedures and how credits can be monetized. 

Workshops are free and will provide program overviews with information on National Register listing (required for accessing the tax credit programs), financing information (including syndication opportunities for non-profits), case studies, and time for question and answers. Developers, preservationists, local governments, property owners, and architects will have special interest. Speakers will include Alexandra Wolfe, Preservation Services Director, SPLIA; Richard Wines, Riverhead Landmarks Preservation Commission (Riverhead); Elizabeth Martin, Historic Sites Restoration Coordinator, NY State Historic Preservation Office; Virginia Bartos, Historic Preservation Program Analyst, NY State Historic Preservation Office; Murray Gould, Principal, Port City Preservation, LLC; Cas Stachelberg, Partner, Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC (Cold Spring Harbor); and Ward Dennis, Partner Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC (Riverhead).

The first workshop will take place on February 9th from 5:30-7:30pm at SPLIA Headquarters, 161 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor (across from Post Office). The second will take place on February 10th from 7:30-9:30pm at Riverhead Town Hall, 200 Howell Avenue in Riverhead. The workshops are hosted by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA) and the Town of Riverhead Landmarks Preservation Commission.

To RSVP, call SPLIA at 631-692-4664.

Sunrise Highway Corridor Sustainable Transportation Study to be held February 10th

The New York State Department of Transportation  (NYSDOT) is working to develop a plan that provides smart, affordable, workable, and sustainable transportation for the 11.5 mile section of Sunrise Highway between NY Route 112 (Medford Road) and Wading River Road in the Town of Brookhaven. 

The Sunrise Highway Corridor study team is holding its second meeting of the Project Advisory Committee (PAC) February 10th at 1:00pm at Briarcliff College. Organizers are encouraging the public to provide input on local issues that will help to preserve and enhance the characteristics of the Sunrise Highway corridor. 

For additional information, email R10-Route27Study@dot.state.ny.us or call 631-952-6234. Briarcliff College is located at 225 West Main Street, Patchogue

Have a Heart for the Homeless candlelight vigil on February 11th

For most of us, winter brings thoughts of holidays, gifts, and good cheer. Unfortunately, too many Long Islanders see winter as a time when the cold is against them, food is in short supply, and the ability to stay warm is a daily challenge. These are Long Island’s homeless and impoverished individuals and families. Reports show that there are over 750,000 Americans living on the streets or in emergency shelters. On Long Island, approximately half of the homeless are children.

On Thursday, February 11th from 6-8pm, the Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless will host their annual "Have a Heart for the Homeless," a candlelight vigil to raise awareness about the homeless and the great need for affordable housing in our area. The event includes musical guests, speakers, a candle lighting ceremony, free haircuts, snacks and refreshments, and face painting. There will also be a collection of new/unused baby items, non-perishable food, cleaning supplies and toiletries to distribute to Long Island’s homeless and at risk families. Your group can help by conducting drives to collect new baby items, toiletries, and non-perishable foods.

Please contact NSCH for a kit to help you get started, or for more information on the vigil: (516) 742-7770 or gguarton@nsch.org. The vigil will take place in the Plaza and Multi-purpose room (Roosevelt Hall) at Farmingdale State College, 2350 Broadhollow Road. The participation of every person who cares will make a difference. Let's show that Long Islanders want to eradicate homelessness and hunger that exist in our affluent society!

Neighborhood Network presents Organic Turf Show at SUNY Farmingdale February 16th

Save the date for Neighborhood Network's 11th Annual Organic Turf Show, taking place on Tuesday, February 16th from 8am-4pm at Farmingdale State College (Roosevelt Hall). This unique Trade Show demonstrates to green industry professionals current "organic" methods that help reduce chemical pesticide use. It is the leading event of its kind for our region. The show features organic product vendors and workshops on organic turf maintenance that offer DEC credits for certified applicators.

Last year, over 300 people attended the show. Invitees include: landscapers, horticulturists, golf course & parks employees, and garden centers from around the region, as well as school facilities managers, public officials, and non-profit groups. 2010 speakers so far include T. Fleisher, Battery Parks City Parks Conservancy; Patty Kleinberg, Queens Botanical Garden; Peter Schmidt, Compostwerks; Rich Staudt, Total Landscape Care; and Tamson Yeh, Cornell Cooperative Extension. Sponsorship and advertisement opportunities are available.

To learn more and to register online, visit organicturfshow.org or call Neighborhood Network at (631)-963-5454.

Huntington Town Board to hold public hearing for Huntington Station TOD on March 9th

The Huntington Town Board, at its first meeting of the year, voted to schedule a March 9th public hearing on the creation of the Huntington Station Transit Oriented District, a move aimed at allowing a range of housing opportunities for people at different income levels and at different stages of life at a location where residents will have increased access to mass transit and a reduced dependency on the automobile.  This district will be applied to the 26.6-acre district located on about a half mile from the Huntington Long Island Rail Road station, on the north side of East Fifth Street, which AvalonBay Communities Inc. is looking to develop with a mix of market rate and affordable housing.

Details regarding time and location will be announced soon. Read more on the Town's website.

Sustainability Institute at Molloy College kicks off Green Jobs Summit series on March 12th

Beginning March 12th, the Sustainability Institute Molloy College in Rockville Centre will be hosting a series of Green Jobs Summits in the Hayes Theatre. This first session focuses on defining green jobs, training for them, and getting into the field. The half-day summit will include public service, engineering, solar installers, energy auditors, legal and paralegal, cleantech venture capital, academic and industry research, teachers, educational institutions and educational tools. The keynote speaker will be Peter C. Fusaro, New York Times bestselling author of What Went Wrong at Enron. 

Tickets are $50 each and sponsorship opportuniites are also available. Registration can be done online here or by calling Molloy’s Office of Advancement at 516-578-5000, ext 6622.

Attend Long Island's first LEED-ND® conference March 23rd

Please attend the first Long Island LEED-ND® conference March 23rd from 8:30am-3:00pm at the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College in East Farmingdale. Come to this informative worksession to learn about LEED-ND®: LEED®'s newest neighborhood-based green design standards, led by some of the region's foremost experts. LEED-ND® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, Neighborhood Development) was developed in partnership with the US Green Building Council, Congress for the New Urbanism and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Workshops will cover: Smart Location & Linkage, Neighborhood Pattern & Design, Green Construction & Technology and Regional Priority Credit.

Sponsorship opportunities are available, starting at $500 and going up to $3000. Individual tickets are $75. The event is sponsored by the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, the US Green Building Council, Vision Long Island and CNU-NY.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Vision Long Island at 631-261-0242 or email info@visionlongisland.org. Download the flyer for the event here. The Sustainability Institute at Molloy College is located at 7180 Republic Airport, East Farmingdale.

Scholarships Available to Attend APA National Conference

The LI Section of the NY Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) will award up to two Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarships to graduate students (in a planning or a planning-related field) or to entry-level planners (three years or less out of college or three years or less in a professional planning position) to attend the APA National Planning Conference in New Orleans from Saturday, April 10th through Tuesday, April 13th, 2010. The scholarship will pay for conference registration, APA membership for one year, and additional expenses up to $1,500 for each scholarship.

In the spirit of Mr. Kunz, a Suffolk County planner and mobile workshop enthusiast, the scholarship will also fund attendance at one mobile workshop. If you are an entry-level planner that lives or works on Long Island or a student that attends graduate school or lives on Long Island, and wish to apply for a scholarship, send your resume and why you are interested in an email to LongIslandSection@nyplanning.org. The deadline for submissions is February 10. Awardees will be notified by February 15th, 2010.

New York’s transportation woes are numerous, and many of them can be traced back to one source. A lack of money for transit, bridge, and road projects; the inability of cities to use cameras to keep cars out of bus lanes; and a missing state smart growth philosophy are all problems that can only be solved by Gov. Paterson, legislative and agency leaders, and other officials in the state capital. So that’s where TSTC is heading. For the first time, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign is hiring a full-time staff member based in Albany.
The staff member will advance key legislative issues and expand our partnerships in Albany. Candidates should be articulate, dynamic, and assertive and have experience working with elected officials and with community organizing campaigns. They must have a dedication to and passion for environmental issues, strong writing and journalistic skills, and a willingness to work in an advocacy environment. Specific knowledge of transportation-related issues is a strong plus and familiarity with NYS geography is preferred.
Responsibilities will include:

• Pushing existing legislation to improve transportation planning and transit systems such as bus camera lane enforcement and complete streets;
• Pushing for traffic safety legislation (speed cameras, expansion of red light cameras, “vulnerable users” legislation, etc.);
• Advocating for increased, sustainable, and balanced funding sources for transit;
• Watchdogging state Department of Transportation projects and programs and conducting meetings with department staff;
• Writing a weekly “Albany Report” for MTR and another publication;
• Managing a state candidate issue survey.

Other responsibilities may include press outreach, public presentations, blog and report writing. This is a one-year position with the possibility of extension. It is based in Albany, with some travel to our main office in New York City and around the state required.
Three years of work experience required. The candidate must be politically savvy, energetic, flexible, and have excellent analytical, research and writing skills. Masters in urban planning, environmental policy, nonprofit management, or related field preferred.
To apply or for more information, send an e-mail to the attention of Associate Director Veronica Vanterpool at tstc[at]tstc.org.

Tri-State Transportation Campaign seeks full-time Albany-based staff person

New York’s transportation woes are numerous and many of them can be traced back to one source: a lack of money for transit, bridge and road projects; the inability of cities to use cameras to keep cars out of bus lanes; and a missing State Smart Growth philosophy. All of these problems can only be solved by Gov. Paterson, legislative and agency leaders and other officials in the State capital, so that’s where TSTC is heading. 

For the first time, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign is hiring a full-time staff member based in Albany. The staff member will advance key legislative issues and expand our partnerships in Albany. Candidates should be articulate, dynamic and assertive and have experience working with elected officials and with community organizing campaigns. They must have a dedication to and passion for environmental issues, strong writing and journalistic skills and a willingness to work in an advocacy environment. Specific knowledge of transportation-related issues is a strong plus and familiarity with NYS geography is preferred.

Responsibilities will include:

• Pushing existing legislation to improve transportation planning and transit systems such as bus camera lane enforcement and complete streets;
• Pushing for traffic safety legislation (speed cameras, expansion of red light cameras, “vulnerable users” legislation, etc.);
• Advocating for increased, sustainable, and balanced funding sources for transit;
• Watchdogging state Department of Transportation projects and programs and conducting meetings with department staff;
• Writing a weekly “Albany Report” for MTR and another publication;
• Managing a state candidate issue survey.

Other responsibilities may include press outreach, public presentations and blog and report writing. This is a one-year position with the possibility of extension. It is based in Albany, with some travel to our main office in New York City and around the state required.

Three years of work experience required. The candidate must be politically savvy, energetic, flexible, and have excellent analytical, research and writing skills. Masters in urban planning, environmental policy, nonprofit management or related field preferred.

To apply or for more information, send an e-mail to the attention of Associate Director Veronica Vanterpool at tstc@tstc.org.

The Wizard of Oz at Patchogue Theatre

Travel down the yellow brick road for an unforgettable day with Ovations Dance Repertory Company's musical of "The Wizard of Oz." This magical production celebrates the anniversary of the 1939 movie. Dorothy, Toto and their friends the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow are transported "Over the Rainbow" to the adventures in Munchkinland, the Haunted Forest and The Emerald City.

There will be two performances at the Patchogue Theatre of the Performing Arts on Saturday, January 30th: 11am and 3:30pm. Tickets start at $12. For tickets or more information, visit The Patchogue Theatre's website.

Tap Dancers, Live Jazz Music at Landmark on Main Street

This Saturday night at 8pm, downtown Port Washington's Landmark on Main Street presents a one night only extravaganza with Andrew J. Nemr & CPD Plus. As a part of Landmark's Dance Series, this show will bring a combination of live jazz music and tap dance to the stage. Tap legend Gregory Hines said, "Andrew Nemr is one of the tap dancers who will help move the form forward into the New Millennium. His skills are true and richly expressive."

To purchase tickets, priced from $20-40, visit this site or call the box office at (516) 767-6444. The theater is located at 232 Main Street, Port Washington.

SMART GROWTH NEWS

Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Director of Communications
Contributors: Eric Alexander, Executive Director; Tara Klein, Planning Coordinator;
Tawaun Weber, Assistant Director; Elissa Ward, Director of Sustainability; Juliana Roberts Dubovsky, Planning Consultant; Chris Kyle, Program Coordinator

We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration.

If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities.

For more information about Vision Long Island, visit visionlongisland.org or contact us at:
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One Northport, NY 11768.
Phone: (631) 261-0242. Fax: (631) 754-4452.
Email: info@visionlongisland.org